Eternal Summer
by Mei Sakamaki
Summary: Haruka, Makoto, Rin, Nagisa, and Rei are having their first summer together. Future competitions and tournaments are coming, and the boys are going to spend this summer, working hard for the best. Even one of Rin's childhood friends, Yamazaki Soskue, pays a visit. But when a sudden turn of events, terrorize the boys, they hope, that this summer, will last, forever, in their minds.


(This is my own season 2 story of Free Iwatobi Swim Club while adding myself in it. But it won't impact anything major. Don't worry. I am just one of the boys childhood friends who no one met before. Who should it be? I'm still debating... If you don't know, they updated the Free! Website. Kyoto Animation and click on the Free! Eternal Summer link and there you are! Or just Google it)

Haruka opens his eyes. The warm sun rays beam through his window. They hit the edge of his bed making his uncovered feet tickle. Summer vacation... No school. But, that means more time in the pool and the more time, the better.

Haruka stands tiredly and prepares his swim suit for a bath. He made sure he'd wash it perfectly so it would fit right the next day. He takes off his shorts and T-shirt he worn to bed the previous day, and slips on his swim suit. Haruka then turns the faucet to semi-cold/semi-hot and after a few seconds steps in. He let's the water fill up to the tip of his nose and then he goes into a daze. Thinking about swimming in the warm pool or even the ocean... That would be the life.

Until a loud, hard bang interrupts his daydreaming. "Makoto...", he mutters to himself. It isn't a quarter past 10 and Makoto is already here. But there was another knock after another. Usually Makoto uses the back door to come in. This must be someone who has never been in Haruka's house before or at least not without Haruka escorting him to the location...

Haruka sighs and slowly rises out of the bath and gets out. He doesn't even get a towel to dry himself off with. Water leaves a path from the bathroom to the front door. He opens the door and a crimson haired boy with crimson eyes stands before him.

"Rin...", he says in a annoyed voice. Rin smirks. "Haru! Have you already forgotten?" Haruka thinks to himself for a moment. 'Oh...' He finally realizes. "Yeah Haru! Its about time you remember. We have a practice today at Samezuka Academy. Hurry up and get uh..." Rin scans Haruka's already half naked body. Haruka clicks his tongue.

"Shut up and let me get changed.", Haruka says before Rin can say another sly remark. He quickly drains the bathtub and slips on a pair of shorts just long enough to cover the bottom of his jammers. And a T-shirt that is yellow to reflect the blazing sunlight. He grabs a bag and puts his swim cap and goggles inside. Before he forgets, there are 3 cats waiting outside for their daily meal. Haruka always feeds them 2 times a day. He prepares himself and the cats microwaved mackerel and sets it outside. Once he opens the door, the cats are crying out loud Haruka is guessing from the heat. So he gives them a decent size water bowl. 2 of them. One for drinking and the other for cooling off in.

Haruka finally meets the impatient Rin outside while stuffing the hot mackerel down his throat. "It's about time!" Haruka coughs as he chokes a little on the mackerel. The two begin to walk down the long path of Iwatobi to get to Makoto's place, then Nagisa, and last Rei's. Haruka is thinking about getting into the cool pool at the Samezuka Academy. Their water was never to hot or cold during each season. It was just right for what ever temperature it was outside.

As the two reach Makoto's place, Rin notices two familiar faces. A short blond boy with pinkish eyes, and another with blue hair, glasses with red frames, and purple eyes, come into view. When they spot Rin and Haruka, the short blond boy raises his and and waves. "Rin-chan! Haru-chan!", he yells in a high pitched, almost girl like voice. He begins to run towards Haruka and Rin. The other boy doesn't seem prepared and is left behind. " Na- Nagisa-kun! Wait for meeeee!" And he dashes off after Nagisa.

Once they reach Rin and Haruka, Makoto finally comes out of his house. "Ah! You're all here already?" Rin looks around. "Uh... Yeah. I guess now we are." Makoto smiles a warm smile like he always does. Haruka can never smile like that. He can smile, just not like that. Makoto notices the out of breath blue haired boy. "Rei? You seem tired already." Rei glares at Nagisa who is chatting with Rin. "He caught me off guard and ran. I'm not that fast to react..." Makoto chuckles. "I can see that." Now the 5 boys are off to Samezuka Academy at last. Nagisa and Rei are bickering on and off like usual. Makoto and Rin are laughing along with the argument. Haruka is staring out into the distant sea just a few miles away.

Makoto notices Haruka gazing out towards the blue ocean and guesses what he is thinking like always. 'I wonder if I should visit the beach sometime during the summer.' ,Haruka thinks. Makoto smiles. "I think we should all go on a trip to the beach. What do you guys think about that?" Haruka notices that Makoto basically read his mind... The 3 boys all nod their heads in acceptance. "I think that would be fun.", Rin says. Nagisa jumps in. "Yeah! We could camp out there again and keep a special look out for Rei-chan!" Rei chuckles. "Now, now Nagisa-kun. Don't get too ahead of yourself. I studied all the potential dangers of the oceans." Once again, bickering began and it didn't seem to come to an end. Days like this, made Haruka actually happy to be with others...

Finally, they arrive at the academy. When they enter the area were the pool is, strangely, it is empty. There is a man who is draining the pool out along with a few other men. Rin notices the former captain of the Samezuka Swim Team, Mikoshiba, standing besides the back doors. Rin drops his things and runs over to Mikoshiba. The other boys follow. "Cap- Mikoshiba!", he corrects himself. Mikoshiba has graduated that year from the academy. So, he isn't the captain anymore. "What's going on?!"

Mikoshiba gazes over at Rin's strained eyes for a second then looks back at the men working. "This place... Is getting shut down..." Rin's eyes widen and his heart shatters. "The whole academy or..." Mikoshiba nods. "The whole academy. They haven't had enough applicants this year for being a first year. Only 12... So, the school wouldn't have enough money to keep it going... Therefore, this place and the whole school, will be torn down within a few weeks." All eyes turn to Rin. With no doubt, he is furious, but sad. Samezuka was the place Rin thought he could make a major difference. In his own life, but his passed dad as well. But, without this place, where is Rin to go? Iwatobi maybe, but it wouldn't make much of a difference. It still won't feel like he made it that far...

Haruka doesn't know what to say for his suffering friend. If he does, it could become worse... So he keeps quiet like the others as Rin slowly walks out of the building and into the dormitory. They follow him and when he gets into his room, Nitori is sitting on a chair tying his shoe. When he notices Rin there, he lifts up his head. "Ah... Matsuoka-sempai... You heard the news I see." Rin nods to his shuddering roommate. Well, soon to be former roommate... "We have the summer before we have to be registered in a new school. My parents want to take me to see if Iwatobi High School would accept me. So... See you later." The gray haired boy takes a 5 second glimpse at the saddened, speechless boy before exiting.

Rin is thinking of how he will go on like this... What will he do? Without Samezuka, his dream, could become a reality in a much longer time. Rin sits on his bed and places his hand over his face. Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei are left standing in the doorway wondering what or how they will help Rin.

Nagisa is the first to pipe in. "Rin-chan! Look on the bright side. You could come to our school. No biggie." Rei decides to nod along with him. "And you can join the team." Rin clutches his fists together. Haruka and Makoto understand that Rin doesn't want to be bothered. Especially when it comes to swimming. So they lead Rei and Nagisa out of the room, and ask to talk to Rin. They agree. They aren't that stupid to suspect that Rin isn't furious about the sudden turn of events.

When Makoto slowly shuts the door, Haruka mutters, "Rin..." He is still sitting on his bed, covering his face. The room is dark. The atmosphere is not welcoming. This whole day ahead of him, was just taken away from the 5 boys within a few minutes.

After standing in silence for a while, Rin finally begins to speak. "It's not like I wouldn't want to join Iwatobi... But, this place, would have gotten me far. Not just in life, but in reaching my dream. I would have gone off to a good college... And became a swimmer in the Olympic's. Achieve my fathers dream... But, if I went to Iwatobi, I can't join the swim team. That place isn't even large enough to support a 5 person team... What am I going to do?" Haruka is speechless. He wants to desperately find words to help his hurting friend, but, in these circumstances, it is beyond impossible to heal Rin's shattered heart.

Rin then stands, and walks out of the room, and out of the building. No one even bothered to stop him. They all know, Rin is most likely to go to his fathers grave. When ever he feels troubled, he goes to that one spot, where his father was buried...

Makoto, Haruka, Nagisa, and Rei walk back in silence. No one was prepared for this... Not one...

(I'm still debating whether or not to include myself in this thing. I don't really think I should. What do you guys think? Review this chapter and tell me what you think. Thank you!)


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